Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to online and/or mobile payments and more particularly to a reverse showrooming and merchant-customer engagement system that may be used with online and/or mobile payment systems.
Related Art
More and more consumers are purchasing items and services over electronic networks such as, for example, the Internet. Consumers routinely purchase products and services from merchants and individuals alike. The transactions may take place directly between a conventional or on-line merchant or retailer and the consumer, and payment is typically made by entering credit card or other financial information. Transactions may also take place with the aid of an on-line or mobile payment service provider such as, for example, PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Such payment service providers can make transactions easier and safer for the parties involved. Purchasing with the assistance of a payment service provider from the convenience of virtually anywhere using a mobile device is one main reason why on-line and mobile purchases are growing very quickly.
A growing trend at physical merchant locations, sometimes referred to as “show-rooming”, involves customers visiting a first merchant's physical location to view and/or try out products offered by a first merchant. However, rather than purchasing those products, “show-rooming” customers will typically then research the price of those products online (e.g., after leaving the first merchant's physical location, at the first merchant's physical location on a mobile device, etc.), and end up purchasing the product from a second, different merchant (e.g., at a physical or online location.) Such activities result in lost sales for merchant's with physical locations, which can be particularly damaging when those sales are lost to online merchants with lower overhead due to the lack of operating a physical location.
Thus, there is a need for improved merchant-customer engagement systems and methods that increase the chance of customers making a purchase at merchant physical locations.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.